Hockey 4 Everyone brings cost of hockey down.

Hockey 4 Everyone provides an opportunity for everyone to be able to play hockey, and is no charge to participants. The crew behind the program are, from left, David Martin of Club Oxford, Dave Shields of Upper Deck Youth Centre, Club Oxford president Kim Alexander, Chris VanKasteren and Rayburn Lansdell of Upper Deck. (Contributed Photo).

By Jeff Helsdon

The Hockey 4 Everyone program is now open for registration.

“It provides an opportunity for families that can’t afford it to put all their kids in minor hockey,” said Kim Alexander, Club Oxford Hockey League president.

The program is designed to assist boys and girls who are not currently enrolled in hockey, giving them a chance to play. There is no fee for participants. Funding for the program is provided by the Club Oxford Hockey League and private donors.

To register, parents need to fill out a Permission to Skate form at the main desk of the Tillsonburg Community Centre. The deadline is the end of November.

The program begins on Thursday, Jan. 9 from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. It is designed for children in Grades 3 to 8 to be able to participate before going to school. The program continues until the end of March. Parents are responsible for getting their children to the on-ice sessions, and then to school after.

Equipment is available for those who need it at no charge. Most of this is good quality second hand gear.

“There is no charge for the gear and it is yours to keep,” Alexander said.

Chris VanKasteren, and Rayburn Lansdell and Dave Shields from Upper Deck Youth Centre, will lead the practices. They cover a variety of basic hockey skills, including teaching participants to skate if necessary.

“From January to the end of March, we’re seeing a huge improvement,” VanKasteren said of past experiences.

The program even includes a few TimBits, thanks to Tim Hortons’ owners Mike and Christina Gazley, for participants before heading off to school.

Club Oxford player David Martin looks after equipment for the program. He is looking for donations of used equipment, which can be dropped off at Verne’s Carpet One or contact him at 519-842-1124 to make other arrangements.

Organizers urge people to register as soon as possible so they can get final numbers to assess the amount of equipment needed.

• With files from Chris Abbott